Page 246 - PERSIAN 9 1931_1940

II 4

however, ns regards (he nge of persons eligible for military service were con-
ducted with considerably less strictness than previously.
Education Department*—This Department has 15 schools in Bushiro and
.district and in the sub-ports under its management. No improvement has
however, been effected in its working or efficiency. *
Economic Condition.—There was no appreciable improvement in the
economic condition in Bushiro and district.. The greater bulk of the population
of the hinterland remained poverty stricken. The peasantry took to helping
the extensive smuggling rife in the district either by acting as guides to 1 the
smugglers, or by enlisting as road guards and obtaining pay from the smugglers
by giving timely information of the movements of Government preventive
patrols.
With the object of alleviating this state of affairs and providing a living
for the needy, the local officials requested and obtained sanction from the
Central Government to re-start work on the Coast road between Bushirc and
Lingah which had been stopped for want of funds. Operations were com-
raenced in September. A total of 500 men being employed on the scheme.
According to statistics kept by the Police a large number of persons during
the year migrated from Bushire and district to Mohammerah, Abadan and
towns in the interior and to Bahrain and the Arab Coast. Some of the poorer
peasantry of the hinterland came into Bushire in January and the Municipality
employed them in road-making and kept their families in a caravanserai outside
the town.
A proposal was put forward to erect a factory in Bushire for the manufac­
ture of gunny bags but the local merchants showed such lack of interest in the
project that nothing more has since been heard of it.
Bushire Municipality.—This Department remained throughout the year
under the Honorary Presidency of Abdul Shakoor Amin, the Assistant Governor,
Bushire, and received its monthly budget allotment of Tomans 2,000.
In the beginning of 1934, the Municipality took steps to ensure sufficient
supplies being available to last, the town until the next harvest. 50 tons of
>yheat were purchased and stored for sale to bakers. Tomans 40,000 had been
received from the Revenue Department for the purpose.
In April new taxes were levied as follows :—
Persons leaving Bushirc by sea Rials 8 per head 1st Class, Rials 4, 2nd
Class and Rials 2 Deck passage.
For travellers proceeding upcountrv the tax was Rials 4 per head
for passenger cars and Rials.2 for lorries.
The Excise tax on spirits was also raised by Rial 1.
The object of these taxes was to raise funds for the local Government ele­
mentary school and provide 10 beds for a lying-in ward for poor persons in the
Town Infirmary.
A staff of 50 employees is maintained to look after the sanitation of the
Town.

SECTION 4.

Military and Marine.
Army.—In February Brigadier-General Ibrahim Khan Zand, Commanding
the Fars Division, Shiraz, visited Bushire on inspection.
The strength of the Bushire garrison remained at 1800—the same as in
the preceding year. The Conscription Office was re-opened in August. Exemp­
tion papers were examined and names of fhc youths who had attained military
age were announced. They were, however, not recruited because the military
bnrracks was full. Only batches of 40 or 50 were taken in from time to time
when similar numbers of conscripts left the barracks on the completion of their
2 years service. In December the Conscription Office was transferred to the
Naval Bureau with orders that any one conscripted from the coastal towms.
should carry out his service in the Navy.